Armed Forces: In 1989 regular armed forces of 55,500: army--45,000, air force--6,000, navy--4,500. Reserves totaled 182,000, and 30,000 in People's Defence Force, a national guard. All males eligible for conscription at age eighteen; most conscripts served twenty-four to thirty months active duty, with reserve obligation to age forty for enlisted personnel and fifty for officers.
Military Units and Equipment: Army composed of one active and one reserve armored brigade, three active and six reserve infantry brigades, two commando battalions, and seventeen artillery battalions. Equipment included light weapons, light tanks, armored personnel carriers, and 155mm howitzers. Navy had corvettes, missile craft squadrons, patrol squadrons, transport ships, and minesweepers. Major weapons Gabriel and Harpoon ship-to-ship missiles. Air force had twenty F-16 fighter-bombers on order for early 1990s, and in 1989 had estimated 125 combat aircraft in 6 squadrons and 60 helicopters. Air defense provided by army and air force antiaircraft artillery and by Bloodhound 2, Rapier, and HAWK surface-to-air missiles.
Military Budget: In 1988 estimated at US$1.003 million, 6 percent of Gross National Product (GNP).
Foreign Military Relations: No formal military alliances or treaty relations, but participated in Five-Powers Defence Agreement with Britain, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand. Shared integrated air defense system with Malaysia. Singapore armed forces trained in or held joint exercises with Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Taiwan, and Australia.
Police: In 1989 regular force of 7,000 supplemented by 3,000 conscripts assigned to police and 2,000 citizen volunteers. Additional forces provided by 300-member Port of Singapore police and Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation whose 2,000 armed guard and escort personnel had police powers. Prison security and security force reserve provided by 700-member Gurkha contingent.
Data as of December 1989